RICE

India: Mineral & Energy Resources

India’s minerals are mainly found in the Peninsular Plateau and old crystalline rocks; coal dominates India’s energy mix, meeting nearly 55% of primary energy needs and over 70% of electricity generation.

Metallic Minerals

Ferrous Minerals

Iron Ore

  • Types: Magnetite (up to 70% iron), Haematite (most important industrially), Limonite, Siderite.
  • Major states: Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa.
  • Key areas: Noamundi, Gua, Bailadila, Dalli-Rajhara, Kudremukh, Bellary-Hospet.
  • Odisha is the leading producer; these states hold about 95% of India’s iron-ore reserves.

Manganese

  • Used in steel-making, ferro-alloys, and bleaching powder.
  • Major states: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka.
  • Important belts: Balaghat (MP), Bonai-Keonjhar (Odisha), Sandur (Karnataka).

Non-Ferrous Minerals

Bauxite

  • Ore of aluminium; formed from laterite rocks.
  • Leading state: Odisha; other states: Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.
  • Key areas: Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Koraput/Panchpatmali, Lohardaga, Amarkantak.

Copper

  • Major belts: Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (MP), Khetri-Jhunjhunu/Alwar (Rajasthan).
  • Used in electrical goods, alloys, and coins.

Lead & Zinc

  • Rajasthan is the principal producer, especially the Zawar belt near Udaipur.
  • Zinc is mainly used for galvanising iron and steel.

Gold

  • Major fields: Kolar and Hutti (Karnataka); Ramagiri (Andhra Pradesh).
  • Kolar is historically India’s deepest gold mine.

Non-Metallic Minerals

Mica

  • Used in electrical and electronic industries due to heat and electricity resistance.
  • Major states: Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan.
  • Important belts: Kodarma belt, Nellore (AP).

Limestone

  • Raw material for cement, iron and steel, and chemicals.
  • Major producers: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.

Dolomite

  • Used in steel, cement, glass, and fertilizer industries.
  • Major states: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat.

Atomic Minerals

Uranium

  • Found in Singhbhum and Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), Gaya (Bihar), and monazite sands.
  • Used as fuel in nuclear reactors.

Thorium

  • Obtained from monazite sands.
  • Found along Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha coasts.
  • Important for India’s thorium-based nuclear programme.

Major Mineral Belts

North-Eastern Plateau Belt

  • Covers Chota Nagpur Plateau, Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.
  • Rich in coal, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, and mica.
  • Called India’s mineral heartland.

Central Belt

  • Covers Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
  • Rich in manganese, bauxite, limestone, coal, and iron ore.

South-Western Plateau Belt

  • Covers Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu uplands, and Kerala.
  • Rich in high-grade iron ore, manganese, bauxite, and limestone.
  • Has little coal except Neyveli lignite in Tamil Nadu.

North-Western Belt

  • Along the Aravallis in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • Rich in copper, zinc, lead, gypsum, marble, granite, and petroleum.

Himalayan Belt

  • Contains copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, and tungsten.
  • Minerals are less exploited due to difficult terrain.

Conventional Energy Resources

Coal

  • India’s most important conventional energy source; it supports over 70% of electricity generation.
  • Gondwana coal: over 97% of reserves; found in Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari valleys.
  • Major coalfields: Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro, Singrauli, Korba, Talcher.
  • Tertiary coal: found in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
  • Lignite: low-grade brown coal; major reserves at Neyveli (Tamil Nadu), Gujarat, and Puducherry.
  • India had an estimated 389.42 billion tonnes of coal reserves as of 1 April 2024.

Petroleum & Natural Gas

  • Major oil and gas regions: Mumbai High, Gujarat (Ankleshwar, Kalol), and Assam (Digboi, Naharkatia).
  • New reserves are found in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins.
  • Petroleum is used for transport, petrochemicals, fertilizers, and power generation.

Non-Conventional Energy Resources

  • Solar energy: Best potential in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and other high-insolation regions.
  • Wind energy: Major states include Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Hydropower: Generated from rivers in the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and North-East.
  • Biomass energy: Obtained from crop residue, cattle dung, and organic waste.
  • Geothermal energy: Potential sites include Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh) and Puga Valley (Ladakh).
  • Tidal energy: Potential in the Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kutch.
  • Nuclear energy: Uses uranium and thorium; important atomic plants include Tarapur, Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Kaiga, and Kakrapar.